Publishers Weekly

Macmillan reported early last week that it was hit by a “security incident” that forced it to take many of its IT systems offline, and as a result it was not able to “process, receive, place, or ship orders.” In a Friday update, the company said it has made progress in restoring access, but noted that while it is accepting orders electronically, it is “unable to process them at this time.” Sales of comics and graphic novels rose 62% in 2021 over 2020, according to a new joint estimate by ICv2 and Comichron. Total comics and graphic novel sales to consumers in 2021 in the U.S. and Canada were approximately $2.07 billion. Barnes & Noble Education posted a 6.8% increase in sales in the fiscal year ended April 30 over a dismal…

In the eight weeks between the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion against Roe v. Wade and the gutting of the constitutional right to abortion by the court on June 24, publishers revisited backlists, adjusted pub dates, rushed paperback editions, and ordered second printings of titles concerning reproductive rights. Booksellers, too, mobilized with shelf displays and fundraisers to demand justice and solidarity. Though books about abortion and healthcare did not land on PW’s bestseller lists between the May 2 leak and the late June ruling, publishers reported brisk sales and more media attention for both frontlist and backlist titles. Some publishers saw shortages and moved to replenish stock. On May 12, Seven Stories Press noted that two books—Annie Ernaux’s 2001 memoir Happening and Robin Marty’s The New Handbook for a…

With all nonfiction categories posting double-digit declines, unit sales of print books fell 9.4% in the week ended June 25, 2022, from the comparable week in 2021, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. The industry’s largest category, adult nonfiction, had a 14.2% drop in sales compared to the week ended June 26, 2021. Battle for the American Mind by Pete Hegseth remained #1 in the category, selling more than 23,000 copies in its second week. Ed Yong’s An Immense World was the top new release in the category, selling more than 10,000 copies, landing it in seventh place on the category list. Juvenile nonfiction sales declined 17.7%. Last year at this time, Dude Perfect 101 Tricks, Tips, and Cool Stuff sold more than 46,000 copies in its first week,…

The American Library Association concluded its first in-person conference since 2019 on June 28 in Washington, D.C., and while attendance was well below prepandemic levels, as expected, the show set a new highwater mark for the return to in-person events in the U.S. book business. At press time, ALA reported almost 14,000 total registrations, with more than 8,000 attendees and more than 5,000 exhibitors. The ALA’s previous in-person annual conference, also held in Washington, D.C., drew more than 21,000 total attendees, while the 2018 conference in New Orleans drew more than 17,000. In addition to in-person attendees, ALA reported over 800 digital-only registrants—a surprisingly low number given the association’s success with virtual events over the past two years and its stated commitment to using virtual access to increase engagement. The ALA’s…

DEAL OF THE WEEK RH Picks Up Rushdie’s Magic Return Random House publisher Andy Ward took U.S. rights to Salman Rushdie’s latest novel, Victory City, which will be published in February 2023. The story, the publisher said, follows a magically empowered nine-year-old girl in 14th-century southern India who, in the wake of an unimportant battle between two long-forgotten kingdoms, is tasked with creating a new empire in which women are given as much power as men. Andrew Wylie at the Wylie Agency represented Rushdie in the deal. RH Acquires Iger’s Leadership Book Random House’s Andy Ward also bought an as-yet-untitled book from Bob Iger, former CEO of the Walt Disney Co. The publisher said that in the book, Iger will discuss how to be an effective leader in times of crisis and…

Sitting Pretty The Summer I Turned Pretty, based on Jenny Han’s 2009 trilogy-launching YA rom-com, began streaming on Amazon Prime Video June 17. This week, four of the top 10 books in the country are by Han: backlist trade paperbacks for each of the three titles, plus the media tie-in edition of book one. Sales are up significantly compared with the week before the series began streaming, totaling 199K print copies for the four editions. HOUSE PROUD Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake lands at #4 on our hardcover fiction list. “The setup of Rear Window serves as the framework for this outstanding novel of suspense,” our starred review said. “Sager brilliantly misdirects readers while playing fair with them.” If first-week print unit sales of Sager’s books are an indication, those readers’…